Saap

The place is nestled smack dab in the middle of nowhere. But don't let the unassuming facade and location fool you. The food was made fresh, extremely flavorful, and clearly authentic. Wish I found this place sooner.

Fully enjoyed our lunch at SAAP, brought back many memories from our 3 1/2 years living in Thailand. Atmosphere reminded us of the many family Thai Restaurants found in Northern Thailand. The restaurant does have a small staff or at least when we were there. All great to chat with but it’s a relaxed environment so don’t come here for a rushed meal, come to enjoy the food. Reservations are needed for weekends and in general so they can plan accordingly. Open for lunch and dinner but does close from 2-4:30. Now for the food. It was very good- we had the spring rolls, chicken wings, Khao Soi Chicken, and Pad Kra Pao… flavors were very authentic. Considering this is in the middle of Vermont and getting authentic thai is definitely a delight.

Food is awesome. I lived next to Thai town in Los Angeles for many years. I have eaten a lot of Thai food (in America). When our food came at SAAP I immediately could tell it was more authentic and regionally specific than any other Thai restaurants or food I was used to. Really pleasantly surprised to find a gem like this in the middle of Vermont. Our family make la a point to go when ever we’re in Randolph. Always good. Always satisfying.

It was our first time here, and after hearing so many great things we were very excited to check it out for our date night. We arrived promptly at 6pm on time for our reservation. There appeared to be 1 server/host on, but the restaurant was mostly empty. The server was chatting with a man at the bar, the server saw us walk in and continued to chat for another 8 minutes with the man. The man he was chatting with indicated towards us, and at least acknowledged us, the server did not. It was off to an odd start. After 8 minutes the server handed us menus and told us to pick any seat, so we did. There was one other couple inside the restaurant and us. We figured out what we wanted to eat and waited for the server- who was standing behind the bar- to come back and grab our order. And we waited, And we waited, And we waited. At 620pm I told my husband let’s just leave, we were sitting at an empty table with just menus. My husband agreed that if we weren’t at least acknowledged by 630pm we’d get up and leave. At 625pm the server made it back to our table and grabbed our orders. Some time later he brought over water. Now if it had been busy I wouldn’t have cared, but the restaurant wasn’t taking take-out orders, and the other couple in the restaurant had left shortly after we were seated. It honestly felt like this server was intentionally doing everything they could to avoid us. The server jovially welcomed 2 walk-in parties as they trickled in and quickly grabbed waters for them. The server dropped off our food and never checked back in until the end when we were done eating. Honestly it just felt odd to be almost purposely ignored? when we made reservations. My husband acknowledged that an incredible stretch of time passed where we were being ignored but just chalked it up to the server being a bit weird- and he didn’t mind because it was our date night and he was happy to fritter time away with me. He pointed out we weren’t in a rush and it was ok. My husband is a good man. Other than the service I did like the food. It was on point and in my opinion very enjoyable. My husband (who works in the food industry) and was most excited to try Saap was not impressed by the food. He had ordered a chicken dish that was described as having lime and other spices- but he didn’t pick up on any of the seasonings mentioned in the menu description. He was disappointed that his fried chicken was sat in a pool of liquid which made the chicken soggy. The top half of the chicken he described as beautifully crispy but he was dissatisfied with the chicken’s soggy bottom. I did not like the service, but thought that the food was good. My husband didn’t mind the service but was not impressed by the food. Nothing was wildly terrible but we weren’t wowed. So it’s a solid middle rating from me.

The food is phenomenal. The veggie spring rolls were very crispy and good. The Panang curry was really well seasoned with fresh vegetables which were cooked to perfection. The Pad See ew chewy noodles were well seasoned with great mouth feel. The mango sticky rice dessert was great too. The service was a bit slow. The servings a bit small. Tried to order another dish but it was going to be over 40 minutes for it to come out. I would order more than you think you want as soon as you get there.

We unexpectedly were able to walk in today for lunch. (Reservations are highly recommended. ) We shared a Massaman curry and Som Tum Thai salad. Both were ordered as 3 spiciness. The salad was very spicy, while the curry was perfect. The dining is casual. The service was very good. A variety of Vermont beers from Switchback, Foley Brothers and Burlington Beer Co.

We asked our server to recommend dishes that could be made gluten free and vegetarian, and the resulting meal was truly amazing! We got the shredded mango salad, pad see ew, and panang curry. Each dish was so bright and layered in flavor!! All the vegetables were so fresh, and the herbs even came from the chef’s garden! My favorite was certainly the mango salad, and my sister loved the curry. The pad see ew was exceptional as well, with chewy rice noodles and perfectly cooked tofu! And mango sticky rice is always a must order. Make your reservation now!

Wow, we have been trying to get a resy here for awhile and finally it happened and we were delighted with fresh, authentic Thai cuisine- delicious salad, pork, scallop, and shrimp dishes all with fresh veggies. The sticky rice - mango - warm coconut milk was a great finale! Steve, the owner, is humble and grateful for the rave reviews and full house once again. We’ll be back soon!

As an award winning restaurant, Saap definitely lived up to its expectations. While the portions were on the smaller side, every dish we got was flavorful, tasted homemade and authentic, and more unique when compared to other typical Thai restaurants. The wings were especially delicious and the pad thai was also yummy. Service was friendly and reasonably fast / attentive. Would recommend making a reservation in advance.

I was hoping that this place would be amazing from a James Beard award winning chef, but it was just...OK. I'm not exactly sure why reservations needed to be made. The website made it seem like reservations had to be made like they were super-busy but when we got there, there was only one other table seated. No big crowds, no servers running around, just 1 guy behind the counter seating, serving, and cashing out customers. The place was nice with lots of Thai decor but nothing wowed me. The server was nice and helped us decide what to get. I got the Nam Manao (limeade) to drink which was refreshing and I got the Spice Level 1 Tum Yum Talay (Shrimp and sea scallops, mussels and squid served in a savory lemongrass-chili jam broth. rice noodles, Thai basil) this was delicious when it cooled down tremendously. It was way too hot eat right away. All in all, it was a ok meal in an ok setting.

I really wanted to like this restaurant after reading all the positive reviews and seeing that they received the prestigious James Beard award! I love Thai food! & have spent time in Thailand. & I've had many great Thai food experiences in the US! Unfortunately, I was very, very disappointed with Saap. We had reservations and were promptly sat. The restaurant ambiance was nothing special, typical Thai restaurant decor. 20 long minutes later my order was taken. Only 1 server- the owner. He was polite. Food came out in a timely manner, but it was bad. Everything was very sweet and didn't taste right. I couldn't finish. I'm glad other people are enjoying their meals here... but I will not return.

I'm really conflicted about this as well. I follow the food scene and was very excited to try Saap. Vermont known for Thai food? Gotta try it! I was and still am very happy for their award. The food here is really good and is "legit." However, my boyfriend and I felt very rushed. We had a reservation (around 7:15 pm) and did not know that was near the time they close (7:45pm). That's on me. I should have realized that not every town operates on a major city hours of operation. We just happened to enjoy eating later. What was a bit of a shocker was when I called them to let them know we were a few minutes late because Google took us a different route (literally 4 minutes late), one of the employees made it very obvious that if we were not there on time that they would not be able to serve us. When we showed up, there was one other table about to leave and so we had the place by ourselves. The one waiter was eating his dinner in between serving us and watched as the Chef and her husband sat a nearby table to count money, review orders, etc. It did not seem welcoming at all and we felt like we were very rushed. We ordered the wings and spring rolls for app and the panang curry, pad krapow for our entrees. The entrees were great and had excellent flavor. What I enjoyed most were the amount of vegetables in my curry dish. What I did not care for were the spring rolls, which tasted like your average spring rolls, only charged $13. That was simply not worth the price. The wings were great and I would recommend those. Overall, we felt the interaction of our waiter and seeing the owners sitting at a table next to us made us feel like we needed to leave immediately. But as stated time and time again, I will always rate more so for the food, which is why I gave stars. But I honestly wouldn't even bother coming back for dinner.

Slow service and lackluster food. Don't believe the James Beard award hype. I've had bad Thai food that was better than the offerings here. Massaman curry was the worst I've ever had and tasted like sweetened cinnamon tomato sauce. Dine here at your own risk.

Food was excellent! Service was a little sketchy as it was very busy. We have been there several times and the service was always very good.

Definitely in the top ranks of Thai restaurants I've eaten at in the US! Great range of flavors and types of dishes. Specials are really good, not just what the chef bought too much of last week. Restaurant is in part of a converted house, so it's not exactly classic restaurant vibe, but it's warm and friendly. Service can be slow - the one person serving when we were there had quite a few tables to manage - but we never felt neglected. Saap is trying to elevate Thai cuisine in the US. If you can get to Randolph, don't miss it!

Excellent service by a couple of guys who truly seem to like where they work and take pride in the flavors they create. They offer spice scale 1-5, 3 is spicy for me, but Matt said he'd get the 5... Pad Thai and Pad Kro-Pai were delicious, and the fried pork shoulder app was also excellent.

One of the best Thai cuisines I've ever had. Every dish had multiple layers of complex flavors that emulsify into a one-of-a-kind experience. Here, I was able to sweat through the summer heat (Thai spice level Tom Yum soup), cool off in an ocean (Thai tea), and swim amongst sea crabs (Isan style papaya salad). Heads up, they don't hold back on the spice level - even the 3 out of 5 Thai spice level is the real deal. The cherry on top would have been a mango sticky rice. One of the waiters mentioned that they had it before, but it was taking too long to prepare and making customers wait for 30-45 min. I would wait that long, so I hope they consider bring it back! Tip: They're pretty booked on weekends, so make reservations by phone to be safe. Rarely, they might have space for on or two walk ins. Come thru and cop some Saap!

Amazing Food! Great people. The authentic flavors are just amazing. Can't recommend this establishment enough!

Great food. It's award winning. What I've had has been very good and rivals some of the best Thai I've had. That said, none of the other places I've had Thai have won awards. I do have a feeling they may have received bonus points for existing in the middle of nowhere. Terrible ambiance. Mismatched light bulb temperatures, fixtures and furniture straight from 1993 with some of it belonging on the patio. If you're expecting a romantic and lovely dining experience, this is probably the worst place you could possibly go in town unless you close your eyes. Hit or miss service. I've only been once and only interacted with two people. The host seemed bothered by our presence. Our waiter was new and didn't know a thing about the menu, but was incredibly pleasant. I can't see traveling for this place as so many do. If you live within 30 minutes? Sure.

So worth the drive. They were incredibly attentive to everyone different spice levels. Exceptional quality. You must make reservations. I dream about this food!

Well-had quite the experience for dinner there Friday nite. Not Pleasant! They asked us to change arrival time from 6:45 to 7:15- no problem. We all got there on time and there were 3 other tables dining. Our waitress was very nice - food was good but that's where the experience turned unpleasant. in essence they gave us the bums rush to get out of there.Wanting to clear our food before we were done-pushing dessert on us as we were still eating main course. As were starting the desert they were washing the floor in front of us with a mop, bucket and a fowl smelling cleaner-while we were eating !!! It was now 8:30-we were there a total of 75 minutes-pushing the 6 of us out the door. And owner was simply rude ! Really unpleasant experience-do not recommend - my opinion- RUDE !

I don't think I could recommend this place to a friend based on our experience. We did not have a reservation for our table of 4, so we were treated pretty poorly- we were asked to wait 45 min for a table and once we were seated, we waited another 20 minutes to get water. The food took a while as well (~45 min after the waters) and it seemed pretty obvious that the owner/waiter was partial to certain customers and not others- it felt like we were not welcome there. The food tasted pretty good. We got 2 pad see ew's, a green curry, and a pork noodle dish with tamarind. The green curry was definitely the star. It was unfortunate for the restaurant because we really WANTED to like them, but I got a piece of plastic (like a plastic bag) in my pad see ew- the owner did take this off the bill, thankfully. Still, it was pretty off-putting, and I would expect more from a place that has a "James Beard Award". I think the restaurant could benefit from hiring help- it was just the husband/owner waiting tables and I think just the wife cooking in the back. There was 1 bus boy. Perhaps we stressed them. I don't know if they are trying to save money or keep things small, but it came off to us (via the owner) like we weren't good enough to be eating there. Like others here on Yelp, we might be invited to "not come back", but I hope the owners can see my criticisms as constructive.

Amazing food, worth the drive from anywhere you are in Vermont. Spring rolls and fried rice are to die for.

Stopped by with a party of 7 to this great little spot on top of a gorgeous hill in Vermont on a busy Tuesday night. The service was great and they were extremely accommodating. And honestly this was some of the most delicious Thai food with every appetizer and meal that came out. Perfect levels of heat and flavor combos.

Perfectly cooked Dishes loaded with fresh herbs. The sauces were well balanced with just the right amount of salt. Wonderful, attentive service. A nice unassuming location at the end of the road with plenty of outdoor seating. Reservations are required so be sure to plan ahead.

Drove up to Randolph to eat at Saap for my birthday. Beautiful little restaurant, great service and food. I enjoyed the low key atmosphere and delicious food.

Hands down the worst meal experience I have had in a long time . Paid 170.00 bucks for dog food. So salty we couldn't eat it. We got up and left and didn't eat anything else other than apps the food was so bad. We left . Service was horrible. This place is a joke.

We had a wonderful dining experience. The food was excellent. I tried the corn fritter appetizer and they were tasty. I also tried the khai soi which was delicious and unique. I chose a spice level of 2/5 and that was pretty spicy but not uncomfortable. The atmosphere was relaxed but inviting and welcoming. The servers were busy but friendly and attentive.

Had been waiting for the right opportunity to visit Saap and did so this week. I was disappointed on many levels. There was a floater in the draft beer. The bartender was wearing dirty jeans. I witnessed him grabbing a dirty bar rag to clean a table, and then put it down and not wash his hands before carting glasses by the rim to a table of two. Moments after I pulled a long black hair that had been fried into the chicken dish that I had ordered. The rice was the only part of the meal that was somewhat enjoyable. However, the hair, and the dirt put me off and I left 3/4 of the dish on the bar. My guest took the remainder of his dish and tossed it in the trash at the gas station at the bottom of the hill when we stopped for ginger ale. I'm still wondering why I left a 15% tip. Had the bartender/server who I think might be part owner had come to ask how everything was I would have pointed to the hair. I dine out quite often as I am in the industry, and this was the worst dining experience I've had in my 38 years living in VT!

Huge foodie here from Chicago, hello! A James beard Thai restaurant in Randolph Vermont? Sign me up. First off, I will say the food, for the most part, is very tasty. I appreciate the clean ingredients they claim to use, as legit thai is hard to find. Winning a James beard award? I'm shocked. The food wavers from large portions to small, super Spicy to having no spice at all, rich in flavor to flavorless. I also am I huge believer in matching excellent food with even better service. The service here is awful. The owner (steve) is rude, incredibly ungrateful, and treats you as if he's doing you a service. I'd also like to add that for a small town like Randolph, I felt like a stranger each time I came, despite meeting the owner multiple times. That reason alone, I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. I love supporting local, kind, appreciative folks, and these people are not any of the above. --Sasha

My husband and I had a lovely lunch at Saap today. I enjoyed a spicy, deeply flavorful dish called Tom Yum Talay. The seafood was perfectly cooked and plentiful in the rice noodle chili flavored soup. My husband (who fears spicy food) comes with me on my travels to my bucket list restaurants. He was very pleasantly surprised when he realized he could order zero spiced food. He really enjoyed his crunchy, moist fried chicken dish and the shared zippy papaya salad. We brought home enough delicious food to make a nice dinner meal also. The server was very pleasant and helpful to us with choosing and ordering off the menu.

Unfortunately, since they let their nomination go to their head, they think a snotty host is the way to go. Sensible accommodations not allowed here. I give it the second star because the food is good. You just might want to check yourself and remember you're still in rural Vermont.

The food was good, but not exceptional. Service was good, but not attentive (one dish was delivered without its accompanying rice) and the ambiance was missing a sense of welcome, warmth (tables are set too closely together and despite my reservation for five, the front desk seemed startled as to how to seat us. Our table was pinched between too others making anyone's trip to the facilities a fuss.). I was expecting so much more for this highly regarded restaurant. This is one experience out of many positive reviews so I'm hoping that "things" were just "off" for last night's adventure.

Made a stop here for lunch since we saw them on Chronicle...food was absolutely delicious and fast! Only reason I gave 3 stars was due to the atmosphere. For a James Beard winning chef, a little bit of time should go into dusting the fans above our dining area as well as glasses being checked for lipstick marks

Found this little gem in Randolph after reading on Seven Days that one of the owners and head chefs earned a James Beard award. Drove 1 hr out (in rain no less) and the experience was completely worth it. The food was delicious and the service staff friendly, efficient, and attentive. We got the Muu dad deaw, pork spring rolls, peek ghai tod, pad pak with chicken and side of rice, and pad mee khorat. We also had a Thai iced tea (a classic), two beers, and a Saap spritzer. We absolutely loved everything! Ate so fast didn't have time to take any pictures. Can't wait to go back!

This is the best Thai restaurant in Vermont. The chef is a finalist for the James Beard Best Chef in New England award. Delicious food, especially the Muu Dad Deaw, a fried pork appetizer. Great scallops. Lots of specials daily. Serves Lunch and Dinner every day but Sunday. It's out of the way in RAndolph, VT, but worth it.

Extremely disappointed with this restaurant despite never having the opportunity to try the food. My wife tried several times to make a reservation for my 50th Birthday. After making an online reservation, multiple times, she would later receive an email stating the reservation was canceled. She tried to call several times, before service, after service and during service and no answer. She was unable to leave VM as they don't have VM. She again submitted multiple online reservations and a noon time reservation was accepted. This wasn't ideal as it meant we had to take the day off from work to go but we were excited to try the food so we took the time off. On our hour drive to the restaurant we received a call from the owner saying his wife was sick and they wouldn't be opening for lunch. We were extremely disappointed to find this out, especially so late. We asked if they'd be open for dinner and he said possibly. No offer of scheduling another time or anything before hanging up. My wife then reached out via messenger explaining the situation and tried to get another reservation. No response! It's unfortunate that the food may be great, but the experience to even get a reservation is so disappointing.

A 5-star Thai restaurant in Vermont? Count me in! Saap is a northern Thai restaurant located in Randolph, VT. I came for lunch, and Steve gave us a warm greeting. Throughout my meal, Steve was super enthusiastic to share about the dishes and his family's passion for Thai food. You can definitely see the quality and care put into presentation of the entire restaurant and dishes themselves. The atmosphere is pleasant--it's traditional yet modern and very clean. I was impressed with the variety in the menu as they serve many dishes that are not usually served in American Thai restaurants because they specialize in Isaan cuisine. I had the Goong Ob Woonsen which is glass noodles cooked in a pot with broth served with shrimp, pork shoulder, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and ginger. The pork shoulder was cooked to perfection and there was a really generous portion of shrimp in the dish. For me, the dish was way too salty but I think there was just a little too much oyster and soy sauce for my taste. In fact, the noodles toward the bottom that did not absorb all of this sauce was delicious! I would order this again, but next time I would ask for a mild portion of the sauces. While the service is very friendly, you should expect to leave ample time for your meal. If you're in the mood for authentic Thai food, I would recommend visiting Saap! P.S. Don't miss out on the mango gummies after your meal! They're really good.

It was a quaint place in Vermont when we went to Killington. The atmospbere wqs nice as was the food.

What a wonderful Thai experience! We were treated warmly and enjoyed every thing we ordered. This restaurant is fantastic. From the service to the food to the view. I 100% recommend this restaurant if you are craving authentic, delicious Thai Food. I great surprise in rural VT!

Excellent food and kind staff. I didn't have a reservation but they welcomed me and placed me at the small bar. Staff recommendations were spot on. Great hidden treasure in Randolph.

My partner and I were driving through town and were looking forward to grabbing food for dinner for when we got home. We tried to call and the number listed on the website was out of service but the website did have take out listed as an option. When we arrived at the restaurant we were told they were not taking take out orders despite it being 4pm and only 4 people other than us in the restaurant. We weren't hungry for dinner at that point and left super disappointed. I'm sure the food is delicious, but we wouldn't know. Just as a warning, they don't do take out lol.

Awesome experience from the moment we walked in the door. Lovely atmosphere, great food, excellent service. This is going on our Favorites list for sure! We have been looking for a place like this for a l

Place is a disgrace to the restaurant industry and should maybe think about reducing the amount of reservations as the service was shit (not shot) and the owner is an absolute dough head. Can't help but laugh at him and the whole restaurant

The food is fantastic, the service is horrible, even by Vermont's low standards. .The dismal service coupled with the location, Randolph VT is one of the most hate-driven and bigoted places in the state, is reason to skip this place, it really is too bad as the food really is wonderful.

I was so excited to be back at Saap--last time I was there was 2017, well before the James Beard award! Was just as incredible as I expected, and my 3 friends who had never been there were so impressed! Of course they are much busier due to the publicity but the staff are so friendly and very knowledgeable, the atmosphere so pleasant it doesn't matter if you wait an extra minute or two. The mango spritzer was a great way to start, the sauce for the veggie egg rolls fresh and delicious. For me the star of the show was the whole fish but others liked the green beans with olives. I have had kao soi at other restaurants but I suspect this one was the way it's really supposed to taste. We'll be back again (and again) and we won't wait 5 years in between!

Most definitely the best Thai we ever had, best service from Ian and Natasha. Loved the laid back atmosphere, appreciated their reservation process. We really appreciated the passion for all their team members, we know how hard they work. We highly recommend this experience.

We stopped at this amazing , totally unexpected restaurant on our drive from Boston to Stowe. At first we could not find the restaurant. It is up a small hill, inside the local arts and crafts center. We are both international travelers - including a long trip to Thailand - and this was some of the most authentic and delicious Thai food we have ever had. We ordered three dishes and they were all perfectly prepared, tasted completely different from each other, with super fresh ingredients. Very generous portions too.If you are craving Thai food, this would even be a worthy destination for a long drive! Right now they are not serving food inside, but we got takeout - there are a few outside tables.

Super authentic Northern Thai food. If you are in search of a party for your tastebuds, this is the place. Just drive to the end of the dead end street in Randolph VT and look up. We were blessed that the little place in the train station closed, which allowed us to find this place.

Call first as they are a very small business with a changing schedule. Been coming here for 5 years, wish I still lived close bye. We came and were the only ones there cause this is such a hidden gem. The food is always fantastic, but this time it was extra perfect. The flavors and spice coming from our curry dish were incredible. We wish we could come more often. Incredible authentic thai food. The owner is very kind and great to talk to the the kitchen does a remarkable job.

Due to COVID, Saap Thai is strictly doing takeout (August,2021). Find the menu on the web, call in order, pay cash when you pick the food up.

I ordered an authentic curry with tofu, Vegetarian Spring Rolls, and Sticky Rice with Mangos and Salted Coconut Milk! Absolutely delicious food with fast service to top it off!

Wow this place is unassuming and unique... without yelp we never would have found it. It's hard to not want to go to a five star yelp restaurant! It truly lived up to its ratings as the service was very personalized the space was warm... decor was lacking but this is Real Thai food in Vermont! I'm not complaining the prices , service, and food were all five star!

Definitely my favorite Thai restaurant! Simply delicious and going to miss it!!! Hope they open in Washington DC

The flavors pop, the prices are right, and the staff are super friendly! Some of the best Thai food I've ever had!

Awesome food . One of the best Thai cuisine I have ever tasted . Great hospitality and amazing food. Go for it if you love Thai food and if you are not much of a Thai food lover still go for it and fall in love with the food :)

In my opinion this is the best Thai restaurant in Vermont. When I first came here a year ago, I would've told you a very different story, but it's unbelievable how much they have improved. I ordered the Khao Soi and my wife ordered the Goong Ob Woonsen, and both were phenomenal. The flavors were rich and deep and the serving sizes were huge. I will definitely be back again and again and again and again and again and again.

We decided to stop here on our way back from Montreal and it was an exceptional experience. We ordered the mango salad (which came with sticky rice) as a starter and then the Pad Thai and the Khao Soi. Both were prepared the traditional way and were phenomenal, with rich and subtle flavors that one rarely experience at a Thai restaurant nowadays. Being a vegetarian myself it is worth mentioning most of the menu items can be prepared vegetarian, another proof that everything is prepared from scratch. The owner and his wife were extremely friendly and shared with us a little history of the food we ordered. We will definitively come back again and are already looking forward to it.